Scarlet Chains
by Froline el-Vasper
Summary: slightly AU. [akuroku]. Cameos of D.GrayMan characters. [CHAPTER 2: Maleficent learns who the keyblade wielder is].
1. The Millenium Earl and The Keyblade

AN: Man…I am SO fucking dizzy. Huzzah for no sleep and bloody-mucus (the latter, which I assume that you do not wish to hear about). groan. This fic was inspired by Acid-Rush's Home 3: No Man's Land. Though Kingdom Hearts _is_ in its self, a crossover (and a rather large once at that), I have decided to cross it over (again!) with D.Gray. Man. Why? BECAUSE THE MILLENIUM EARL KICKS ASS!...among other reasons. Alas…one is out in the U.S. and…everything past three is out in Japan…(waii…wakarimasen…ite su mo…). And it's another centric AkuRoku (yaaaay…). This is also going to be slightly AU, because, just for the feel of how the fic is going, it almost seems like it should be placed in an alternate 19th century. Just think of GodChild, Howls Moving Castle, or D.Gray Man for possible backgrounds…

Like always Squizzy pwns, and let us not forget Shounen Jump Advanced for D.Gray Man.

Warnings: Language, Shounen-ai, Yaoi (later, later…), crossover (within a crossover…if that's possible)

Overture: The Millenium Earl and The Keyblade.

It had been exactly too long a time since the Auction had taken place, and I was rather relieved to find that two, insignificant parties had chosen to do so. It was always for the keyblade, the one weapon that managed to govern humans' fragile lives so dearly and closely. Surprising enough to find that we, whom create the Akuma, don't seem to carry such verbose power, however, we have our own ways. It was always within my feeble hope that, perhaps, one day, I could lay my hands on this god of weapons, that sudden, dare I say, desire, of such a powerful object. The ability to open and close worlds, as if one was leaving his own house for a dinner party, is quite favorable, if one intends on ruling said universe.

In the likeness of the universe, the keyblade is a fickle thing. I have waited too long to see it be passed from one youth to the next; choosing which path to take, and meeting their ends penultimately…at first, of course; their final fate being whom to turn to; the Nobodies and Heartless; each holding a darkness within, and, if one looked hard enough, a light as well.

Pity. Such lives were, and still are, wasted on quests said to be the "betterment of humanity" and all that rubbish, or said "betterment of one's self", which I do tend to take a greater liking to, yet, still pointless.

However, I am not at a complete loss. I do sound like quite the envious coveter when I speak of such a weapon. There was a slight paradox that had occurred; an interesting one at that. It would _not_ be incorrect to say that the Keyblade has chosen me as its ultimate master, yet not in the form that many are used to.

The keyblade had chosen one to wield it, and one to watch it; The wielder, ever changing; the watcher ever lasting. And I am rather glad to have been the latter. Quests of such depth that the wielder can embark on can quickly become a rainy day on one's hard planned picnic, if you catch my drift.

I do not, however, shirk tasks on a wayward whim. I do have other tasks, you know, creating weapons to defeat God and all of that nonsense, yet, as the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

And so…the matter of the Auction.

As I had mentioned afore, the Auction hadn't taken place in quite some time, and life had become dull. Alarmingly, I had run out of Excorsists, our sworn adversaries, to kill.

Now…I do wonder how that happened.

Forgiveness is implored for; tangents do seem to become me. Yes, the Auction. It was a strange "device", if you will, created in the back waters of time to decide which party would be graced with the wielder of the keyblade. Upon various occasions, those whom had won the keyblade _did _win the war. Yet, there are tales of bloodshed and betrayal, and

those graced with such a powerful weapon, will choose how to use it by their own means, and they choose their fate however they will.

Those keyblade wars had been far from few, until something very strange happened. Bodies and hearts likened to one another and, both became keepers of the peace.

This is when, _yours truly_, decided to step in, surpassing his overlooked role of the watcher.

The incident is a story within itself, so I shall spare you the details (other than it involved quite a number of deaths), yet the outcome was quite gleefully glorifying, to _yours truly_. Black turned against white, and, the keyblade's never tiring journey began again. They are to meet, on peaceable terms by certain stipulations, created by whomever has…"lost" the war last. They, then, after going through certain trials, decide who is to have ownership of the wielder. This very decision, that we speak of, rests not in the wielders hands, rarely in the watchers, but most verily (and terribly sometimes), the parties.

And how, might you ask, how can the watcher of the keyblade not have the final word in this decision? A better explanation might suit you best.

Yes, they must come to blows against one another, besting each other in strength, wit, and the mindlessness of human logic. I must confess, humans _are_ rarely logical. They do very strange things, and have the absolutely, most odd mannerisms that have yet graced my eyes to this day.

At any rate, after said battle, more terms are to come under debate, etcetera, etcetera…you can imagine the forth coming chaos and battling minds.

Of course, I and my cohorts mediate this ridiculous, rambunctious, cacophony. And we always are expecting our pay…

I digress. Like I had said previously, tangents do become me.

There is one particular story that comes to mind when thinking about said "payment". This occurrence was several years ago, yet none too much time that will not impair my telling of it. This concerns the Heartless, and Organization Thirteen…and, a poor soul, who was to be named the keyblade wielder.

Keyblades seldom let their owners know whom they are, before they themselves are chosen. It is a very strange thing, the impulses of the keyblade, how it acts very much like the human heart; reckless, impugning, dare I say mercurial?

…Yet it chose a boy that did not possess a heart…

How bizarre that one should not possess a heart and gain a surrogate one, experienced by the eccentricities of fate. Perhaps what modern science calls opposite attraction is clear within this story. And what would said story be without romance that follows such tacit means?

So, if you wish to disregard this meeting, by all means, I shan't keep you, as I do have other businesses to attend to…

However, if you wish to hearken to this tale of high adventure, please, assume a seat. I shall recount in my best manners possible.

AN: Like I said…The Millennium Earl rocketh. I know…I should be working on Sushi XIII, but this plot bunny zipped into my head, and wouldn't let go (like the green bunnies in GaiaOnline…). I mean, I _do_ have most of chapter five out for Sushi XIII (jeeze! I've never worked on a fic in that way…o.O;; oh well…it's all for you…the fans


	2. The Reconveining

AN: GHAA! I just finished the game, and…cries…Secret ending…total WTF written all over that one. EXCITED! dot dot fucking dot Yeah…it takes a while to get into…but just bear with it, alright? . I hope this chapter makes up for the last one. Sorry it took so long to upload…ff. net was having issues.

Squizzy and Jump Comics pwn…

Warnings: Language, Yaoi, shounen-ai…the usual…(Sex and violence, sex and violence).

Chapter One: The Reconvening

White, in her mind, was such an awful color.

That…_eyesore_ of a castle was just _too _much. She pursed her lips, as a sculpted eyebrow raised. Organization Thirteen had _really _out done themselves this time. The blanched, leviathan of a castle floated in a strange, omnipotent void; almost becoming a sinister pictograph in the window of her airship. She almost enjoyed the strange, daunting hollow that expanded underneath the castle. It reminded her of the darkness; _her_ darkness. The very word made her face glean with a sickening smile. Soon, after this _ordeal_ was over, the keyblade wielder would fight under her control; regardless of his choice. Although, the Organization was not completely inept as she would have hoped.

"Maleficent, are you sure that we're supposed to be goin' this way? This castle don't look so right to me."

A peridot eye slit open quickly, glowering at the corpulent retch on the far side of the dirigible. The very, large cat cringed and averted his gaze elsewhere. Maleficent leaned a bit further in her seat, her lips becoming a pale line. "Yes, you ingrate! This…_sordid_ castle is our destination, and if you don't keep your mouth shut when we are dealing with the Organization, then it will be on your head!"

Maleficent inwardly smiled at the obvious discomfort that she was causing Pete, her mis-matched cohort that made her look like a ringleader of some circus act. She was grateful for one thing only; that he had heard of her, her exploits of the darkness, and resurrected her from her deathly slumber. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been seen with him, even if she _was_ forced to give up her…_obsession._

"I get it, sister. But can I ask ya one thing?"

"Yes?" The horned queen watched the base of the castle come nearer and nearer to the belly of the dirigible.

"This…uh…Millenium Earl guy. What's _he_ got to do with anything?"

Pete's stomach turned at the sight of Maleficent's smile. The dirigible touched down gently as she stood, pulling her cloak around her shoulders. "You will see."

The air was rapidly moving over the stone balustrade, whipping the dark queen's cloak into long rivulets. She chewed her lip sullenly at the castle itself. Across the long courtyard of sorts, were villains that she thought she would have never seen again, some, that she had never seen in her life. _Lovely…more unscrupulous pawns to manage. _

"So, uh…Malefi—"

The dark queen did not stop, yet she slowed her pace down, eyeing some of them with

respect. Others…

"What is it now, Black Pete?"

She really did _not_ like the look that Madam Mimm was giving her now. If she were not restrained by the Peace she would have—

"Well, uh…I'm just not understandin' why we've gotta go to this gatherin' in order to find the keyblade. It's just—"

"Not reasonable?" Maleficent turned on a heel sharply and looked up into Pete's bloated face. Her lackey stopped; yet another worried expression flashing over his face. "Listen to me, you overgrown oaf. If the keyblade was free for the taking, why, I would have it in my hands now. However—"She scanned the scene around her, quick looks darting away, nervous chatter filling the space "—It isn't quite as easy as you would have imagined."

Two long doors opened from the castle. Strange white shapes fluxed and twisted to form a hollowed path. The outsiders moved in.

Maleficent was dually disappointed. The castle was white on the inside too.

Several forms shrouded in black strode in the bleak room. Maleficent upturned her lip at them. She always wondered why the Organization always had to make such an entrance. Why, it was nearly comical, not fear inducing. The horned queen paused a moment to chastise the sign of the times. _Play it fairly, dear heart. After all, we _had_ made that deal with the Millenium Earl, no worries. _

The dark figures moved awkwardly to the side, after an even stranger character emerged from the crowd. He was a rather large man, his overcoat encompassed his form, pointed boots clicking softly on the stone floor. His most unusual and noticeable trait was not his gargantuan ten-gallon hat, nor was it the ridiculously long ears that extended from his head. It was the exuberantly, monolithic smile plastered to his face.

Accompanying him, was a small child, seemingly androgynous in nature, that donned clothes that would suit a girl; a black skirt that teased around the tops of her thin legs, a rather frilly white shirt, for example. Yet, she too, had a very outlandish characteristic, however, one that did not outdo her strange counterpart. Several cross like tattoos graced her forehead, in a sort of circlet. There was rarely anything that unnerved Maleficient, yet the child's eyes gave her gooseflesh. Though attention had net been called for, everyone became dreadfully silent.

"W-who's that?"

Maleficent, thought not able to see Pete behind her, could sense the fear in his voice. "That, my friend, is the Millenium Earl."

"Oh, boy…I don't like this…" The horned witch grabbed Pete by a suspender, and though he outweighed her by several pounds, her iron grip held him there. "Do you want the keyblade, or not?" her eyes darted back, hissing on their own accord.

The man, with the never ceasing smile continued forward, using his umbrella as a cane, the girl followed after, gripping a rather large black book to her chest. The man suddenly stopped and turned sharply to the Organization. "Gentlemen…it would be rather kind of you to remove your hoods, so that we may observe your striking and beautiful features."

A slight pause ensued as, nearly simultaneously, hoods were lifted; black becoming blonde, red, blue, and various shades of other colors. Malefcient had no worries about the rest of them, save one. White hair graced his shoulders, and managed to obscure the majority of his tanned face, yet the luminescence of his orange eyes were the only thing that she managed to recognize.

_Xemnas_.

The man in the overcoat smiled more widely, yet it was difficult to say that he did to. "Wonderful. Now…" The Millenium earl cleared his throat, and cupped a hand around his mouth; his voice suddenly became completely omnipresent. "…All those whom are partaking in the Auction, please step forward."

Maleficient marched forward, practically dragging Pete with her. She noticed others stepping forward; Jafar, Captain Hook, Oogie Boogie, Hades…

Her visage then turned to the Organization; not many of them stepped forward; a man with bright red hair (it almost seemed comical, had it not been for the expression on his face), a rather nervous looking man with dark blond hair, a woman with two strange blond "antennae" sticking from her head, a man with long black hair twisted into some form of braids, and a blue haired man with strange pointed ears. These members stepped forward.

They all converged around the strange man with the ten-gallon hat, and the small girl, her large and wicked eyes looking about, as if trying to sift through them. The man nodded, at the girl, and she handed him the book, wordlessly. "Thank you, my dear." He then held it as if it were nothing more than a sheet of paper. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I must remind you of the rules. It certainly has been quite some time, has it not?"

"Well, Earl, have you the keyblade wielder?" Xemnas crossed his arms over his chest, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, bub. We wanna see what we…_merchandise_ we're gettin'." Hades smirked, the constant blue flame over his head flaring slightly.

"Patience, gentlemen. The keyblade has not chosen it's wielder yet."

A light cacophony broke out amongst the small group. "Wait…wait…you mean to tell _us_, that you're the watcher of the keyblade, and yet…you haven't even _found_ the wielder yet! What kind of person are you!" The Organization member with vibrant red hair appeared highly skeptical of their mediator. The noise stopped as dark glasses reflected an air of silence. "I am the Millenium Earl, _sir_. And patience is needed…"

"Then do you have any idea when he will be found?" Jafar tapped his staff on the ground, red rubies blazing scrutiny from the gold cane.

"Very soon, Vizier Jafar. Ms. Camelot will find him when I know." He put a hand on the shoulder of the girl, who currently had her large eyes closed.

"And how long is _soon_?" The woman with blond antennae placed her fists on her hips, kunais already between each finger. "We can't wait forever, Earl. We've already been waiting for several years."

"So have we," Maleficient sneered, already sick of the attitude that both her Heartless counterparts and Nobody rivals were bestowing on the Earl. "We've all waited long enough."

"_You_ think you deserve the keyblade, Maleficient?" Xemnas laughed, bringing a hand to his face "Oh this is just too _rich_. You have your crony over there—" He pointed to Pete, who, at the mention of his name, seemed to awaken from a stupor.

"You--nobodies don't deserve the keyblade," Hook futilely began, as Oogie coupled his rebuttal "Nobodies don't got no hearts! So you'd better give it up, pretty boy!"

"That's _exactly why _we need the keyblade" The young man with the strange blond hair glowered coldly, and man with black hair flicked a long braid of hair over his shoulder, finishing his argument, as their rivals had done "You already _have_ hearts. Why, if we could just…"

"Silence!"

The group turned its attention to the young girl standing next to the Millenium Earl, her strange eyes even made, as Maleficent noticed, Oogie Boogie pale. The Millenium Earl, his grin never fading, bended towards the girl, putting an arm around her. "Rhoda…please…"

"No, Earl. I won't stay quiet. Not this time—" Rhoda slowly raised the volume of her voice "—I must speak my mind. All of you are incompetent fools who know nothing of the workings of the keyblade. Your damn avarice is far too much for us to take. Let us do what we know best, and you do yours." She smiled softly, eerily "Besides…you all must practice your battle skills. It will not be easy."

"You don't know anything of our plight, girl!" The blond antennae on the woman's head twitched as she scoffed at the sable haired youth. The red head rolled his eyes and shot her a dirty look "Larxene…"

"Just…look at her! Are you going to put up with her stupid arrogance, or what?" The antenae woman, now known as Larxene, glowered at Rhoda, whom merely smiled tritely.

"Now, who is the arrogant one?"

Larxene snapped as her electric blue eyes flared suddenly. The other Organization members went to stop her, but it was too late. She flung a sharp kunai with all the force in her body before anyone could bat an eyelash. Maleficient even thought that she saw the everlasting grin on the Millenium Earl's face disappeared only for a moment. A sudden gasp rended from the small group as the sharp blade pierced the delicate tissue of Rhoda's magnificently odd eye. A surprised glance was exhumed from the youth, as a yellowish-red ooze began running from the organ. Larxene gazed triumphantly at the results of her well-aimed kunai, as the dark haired man and the green eyed man pulled her back, both clutching at the crook of her elbows.

A quiet, yet crazed laugh grew in volume from Rhoda, as the tissue around her eye became wrinkled and red, regenerating the injured tissue. The kunai was slowly pushed from the girl's eye fell and, eventually with a clang onto the stone floor. All stood astounded at such abilities for such a young person, Larxene more so. Rhoda's eye was completely healed as she advanced to the Organization member. The grip on the blond woman's elbows slackened as she was planted to the floor, amazed.

"Know your place, peon. I do not go so easily." Rhoda grinned maliciously and returned to the Earl.

Though Maleficient did not appreciate being accosted very much, she did like the girl very much. _Perhaps a new ally_?

The large, black book suddenly trembled in the arms of the Millenium Earl. He held the book open as text quickly began to appear on the gilded page. The Earl began making various noises of comprehension. "Ah…" He laughed "How fortunate…" he handed the book down to Rhoda, who grinned. "Oh. He is going to be fun to deal with. Shall I go now, Earl?"

"Yes, yes, Ms. Camelot, go your ways. And return swiftly, you know how impatient our clients are."

Rhoda nodded, the grin from her face never fading until the oval of darkness appeared and swallowed up her welcoming form into it.

Maleficient smirked, and Pete cringed to see it. Things were going to begin soon, and, noticeably, in her favor.

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AN: I know Malificent says the likes the castle in the game, but…I dunno…it really doesn't seem like her style. I really love Rhoda Camelot (alas, she's in volume three…either get it in Japanese, or read a scanlation…but scanlations are truly evil…)

Question: Should I keep the intro, or should I just go straight into this?


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